You will first be struck by the design of the Sonocaddie V500, as it chooses to sidestep the traditional chunky, rugged design adopted by other Golf GPS rangefinders in favour of something altogether more civilised.
Its piano black casing and minimalist, curved design is only interrupted by a couple of physical buttons.
This is because most of the actions are performed using the three inch touchscreen display.
This screen is a real asset to the Sonocaddie V500, because it is not only responsive to the touch, but also one of the most visible displays on the market, even on the brightest of days.
The rich colours paired with excellent brightness and contrast provide a perfect canvas on which the mapping can be viewed with ease.
A touchscreen will make any device look and feel modern, but without the software to back it up it can be a hindrance, not a help.
Luckily the Sonocaddie V500 packs some well designed software and an interface that takes full advantage of the touch technology.
To measure the distance between two points is as simple as touching the areas onscreen and it can keep up with your position in real time so you will always know precisely where you are.
The distances are given in clear, bold text that does not obstruct an excessive amount of the display and the standard graphical maps are augmented with the option to view an overhead satellite image of the course and hole.
One of the Sonocaddie V500's exclusive features is the video flyover mode.
Few other Golf GPS rangefinders can boast such a function, as it allows you to take a virtual tour of each hole in a three dimensional world that contains all of the particular quirks, hazards and sweet spots without requiring you to trek around the course on foot.
This will greatly improve your ability to judge shots and plan out your next few strokes and as a side effect it will also allow you to cut down on the number of shots you require to get onto the green.
As with all good Golf GPS rangefinders the Sonocaddie V500 has integrated software extras, including storage space for digital scorecards which will let you leave all of the calculations up to the device whilst you get on with enjoying the round.
The Sonocaddie V500 will also give you a statistical overview of your performance once you have completed your 18 holes, allowing for subsequent reflection.
You can store thousands of courses on the Sonocaddie V500 and it comes preloaded with plenty to get you started.
The whole device weighs just under 130 grammes and its battery should last for 12 hours before you need to recharge it.
As such it is a great golfing gadget that tops its class in many respects.
Its piano black casing and minimalist, curved design is only interrupted by a couple of physical buttons.
This is because most of the actions are performed using the three inch touchscreen display.
This screen is a real asset to the Sonocaddie V500, because it is not only responsive to the touch, but also one of the most visible displays on the market, even on the brightest of days.
The rich colours paired with excellent brightness and contrast provide a perfect canvas on which the mapping can be viewed with ease.
A touchscreen will make any device look and feel modern, but without the software to back it up it can be a hindrance, not a help.
Luckily the Sonocaddie V500 packs some well designed software and an interface that takes full advantage of the touch technology.
To measure the distance between two points is as simple as touching the areas onscreen and it can keep up with your position in real time so you will always know precisely where you are.
The distances are given in clear, bold text that does not obstruct an excessive amount of the display and the standard graphical maps are augmented with the option to view an overhead satellite image of the course and hole.
One of the Sonocaddie V500's exclusive features is the video flyover mode.
Few other Golf GPS rangefinders can boast such a function, as it allows you to take a virtual tour of each hole in a three dimensional world that contains all of the particular quirks, hazards and sweet spots without requiring you to trek around the course on foot.
This will greatly improve your ability to judge shots and plan out your next few strokes and as a side effect it will also allow you to cut down on the number of shots you require to get onto the green.
As with all good Golf GPS rangefinders the Sonocaddie V500 has integrated software extras, including storage space for digital scorecards which will let you leave all of the calculations up to the device whilst you get on with enjoying the round.
The Sonocaddie V500 will also give you a statistical overview of your performance once you have completed your 18 holes, allowing for subsequent reflection.
You can store thousands of courses on the Sonocaddie V500 and it comes preloaded with plenty to get you started.
The whole device weighs just under 130 grammes and its battery should last for 12 hours before you need to recharge it.
As such it is a great golfing gadget that tops its class in many respects.